Ten politicians charged for airport violence last year

By Rich Chang / STAFF REPORTER

Ten politicians were indicted late on Friday on charges related to violent incidents that took place in April last year at CKS International Airport, when then Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) embarked on a trip to China.

Pan-green and pan-blue supporters confronted one another as they "saw off" Lien on an eight-day trip to China to meet with top Chinese leaders.

The 10 politicians -- who are alleged to have led their supporters to the airport, where the two groups then clashed -- were indicted on Friday by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office on offenses of interference with public functions.

Wang Shih-chien told the press he would like to take responsibility for his actions at the protest.

Lo Chih-ming said that he had done what he thought was right to protest "Lien's controversial trip to China" and would be proud if he was found guilty.

Lee Seng-fong said his indictment was political persecution.

In April last year, the airport lobby became a battlefield when supporters from the pan-green and pan-blue camps broke through a security cordon set up at a checkpoint inside the departure area and clashed with one another, throwing eggs, water bottles, rocks and firecrackers at one another.

The violence left 15 people injured. Among them was an elderly man who tripped and fell during the turmoil and was then brutally beaten and kicked by the protesters, who left him bleeding in a pool of blood.

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